Chris Harris explains what makes his own 1986 BMW M5 so special
Posted May 25th 2012 1:45PM
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The 70s were a definitive decade for music and movies. Fashion and cars, not so much. The 80s corrected one of those oversights, an era of ethereal supercars like the Porsche 959, game-changing exotics like the Ferrari Testarossa, and, best of all, everday cannons that offered mortals a generous portion of lairy thrills, such as Chris Harris' 1986 E28 BMW M5.
In 1986, a 1,406 kilogram (3,100-pound), 286-horsepower luxury sedan straight from the factory that could also handle was as rare as a goose with lips. Sure, there was a more powerful AMG Mercedes-Benz E-Class but it didn't want to get into a lengthy conversation about handling, and there was the AMG Hammer, but that was a terrifically expensive tuner special. The M5 weighed the same as the 1986 Chevrolet Corvette and had 225-section rear tires just like the 'Vette, but the M5 had 36 more horsepower. And it had four, leather-covered seats. And it could corner.
All of which has to do with why Drive's Chris Harris spends eight minutes explaining, and showing, why he loves his personal M5 so much.
Scroll down to learn about the sedan that compels him to say "it's the best money I've ever spent on a car."
Seeing one of these on this side of the pond is rare. BMW only made 1,370 E28 M5s for North America and they all came only in Black. Most of these cars had a tan leather interior, but a black leather interior was offered as an option to the Canadian market.
If you're feeling adventurous, there's a Canadian-spec E28 M5 advertised for sale right now. We don't know anything about this particular car's history or owner, but this might be the only time you get a chance to see one!
